Bulls On Parade
by GelNimbus
Summary: They rally 'round the family...with a pocket full of shells... Lana's life hits its first major crossroads when politics and murder collide. Lana x Mia
1. Jesus Walks

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** There's some rough language and drug references ahead!

**DISCLAIMER: **Phoenix Wright is not my property. The title is from the Rage Against the Machine song of the same name. Fight Club is property of Chuck Palahniuk.

**BULLS ON PARADE**

Do you know what insomnia feels like?

One night you're sleeping in your luxury apartment.

You wake up in a stuffy office, with a mountain range of paperwork.

You wake up on the floor of a seedy bar clutching the bar stool after having the bridge of your nose nearly shattered by a fist.

You wake up after a night of lovemaking, on a poor excuse for a bed.

You wake up on the witness stand confessing to a crime you didn't commit.

You wake up lying on a rock hard cot, with your wrists painfully handcuffed behind your back.

That adrenaline feeling that overwhelms you and leaves you with the sensation that you're about to careen off of the Grand Canyon…

Your soul is screaming, and runs wild inside your body, hurling itself against neurons, muscle and bone trying to break free…

Year 2018

Ironically enough, it had always been difficult for me to imagine a life of incarceration.

Bringing criminals to justice, and sending them to prison was, at one point in my short life, a daily routine. However, now it is I who sits here behind the iron clad bars of a prison cell day in and day out.

Here I am.

Stuck serving a three-year sentence for being an accomplice to murder…and for tampering with evidence.

Each sentence had the potential to be much worse, however I managed to assuage the situation with some plea bargaining…and winning some sympathy from the judge. Normally being the haughty prosecutor that I am, I'd call this pathetic; but now I swallow those words, for at the time, it was all I could do.

For Ema's sake.

She came to visit me today, in from Europe for the holidays. It's rather cold in the visitor's room tonight. I watch her pretty face go raw from crying huge tears from behind the glass, all while fumbling with a cheap complimentary cup of stale coffee. I tug at my sleeve wanting to wipe away the moisture from her beautiful blue eyes. This is the first time she's seen me like this: a criminal and a shell of my former self.

After I was sentenced, she had already left. It amazes me to this day that she still wants to be an investigator, even after watching her own sister's glorious downfall. Exposed as a pawn for a power hungry despot of a police chief. It was small price to pay, in my opinion, for protecting Ema.

Ahhh! That bastard Gant. He was a tumor that grew and sucked the life out of me. This tumor continued to grow until it consumed me whole. He took everything from me. _Everything._

My integrity, my job, my sister…my freedom.

Even Mia.

Instantly I began to tongue a long scar on the inside of my right cheek. It's a nervous habit. I placed my right hand on the glass and Ema placed hers over mine. I gave her the warmest smile I could muster. "Keep your chin up. I'll be out of here soon. It's your turn to be the strong one, for us both."

Ema nodded weakly. A small smile started to bloom on her tear stained face.

A gruff voice spoke from behind me. "Your time is up Prosecutor Skye. Back to your cell with you." I felt the fat sweaty hand land heavily on my shoulder. The guard.

I looked at Ema for a brief moment as the guard pulls me away. "I promise to stay strong Lana! I promise!!" she screamed through her sobs. I don't cry. My eyes have dried up. Life has left me desiccated.

_Stay strong… _

The sterile lights and Clorox smell of my jail cell are choking me. Hour after hour I feel myself withering away. My arms are skeletal, my eyes are sunken, and my hair is thinner than it's ever been. I've strained my eyes staring at these eggshell walls. This is the longest my sentence has ever felt, with my release date merely weeks away. I'm like the pathetic mule with a carrot dangling mere inches in front of its nose. Once I'm out, I'm not going back to that ignorant existence I had left behind. The bubble that was my job as chief Prosecutor had burst even before it was finished being blown.

I tongue the scar again…close my eyes and remember…


	2. Stealing Fat

**Author's Note:  **It's been brought to my attention that I have borderline plagiarized the novel Fight Club in this chapter and the first. Here and now I say that I did not intend to do that, nor did I intend to steal the idea from Mr. Palahniuk. I simply meant it as a homage to a fantastic novel. If anyone is bothered by this, please shoot me a PM and I'll edit it out. But do believe me that the idea/plot for this fanfic is entirely my own, and a few lines (such as the first of this chapter) were borrowed from the novel for a dramatic effect/homage. If this was the wrong decision then I am sorry.

So here and now I say that Fight Club is not my property, it is the property of the fantastic author Chuck Palahniuk.

* * *

**_December 2014_**

With a six-inch knife in your mouth, you only speak in vowels.

For a minute there I forgot about the whole sting operation and wondered about how clean the knife was.

The tick-tocking time bomb of your beating heart is your only material comfort when you're seconds away from severe pain. I wasn't tied to the chair this time—as I had been so many times before. Tonight's job was to land a local meth dealer. Nothing too out of the ordinary. He didn't do a very good job covering his tracks; he was an amateur. I'm on the verge of getting information on an illicit shipment of methamphetamines that was due to arrive from the Caribbean later this week. We had been tracking this for a while. Meth abuse had spiked greatly in the city this year, despite tighter regulations from the fed. We needed to stop the problem at its source. And tonight's sting presented the perfect opportunity.

It was practically a routine. My partner, Damon Gant, drives me to an empty alley. I seek out the contact, wave around a sizable wad of cash, and am taken to the drug lord. From there, I bust him/her.

Tonight, our contact saw right through my guise. A short scuffle later, here I am, sitting in a rotting chair with a six-inch switchblade pressed in my mouth. There are syringes strewn across the floor. Household chemicals, aerosols and cleaners are littered on the tops of several rotting wooden tables, along with empty liter bottles and plastic tubing. A grade-A meth lab. An acrid smell is burning my nose. Every time I breathe, the knife cuts the dermis just a little more. There's blood pooling around my molars.

"I ain't gonna ask you again bitch! WHO do you work for?"

"Uhh uh uh uhh-uh!" I mutter, tearing up as the pain in my mouth mounts. I taste salt. He yanked out the knife hastily, slicing my mouth and the corner of my lips. He grabbed the collar of my blazer, and pulled my face closer to his. The knife was now being held precariously close to my jugular. His breath was noisome…seeping out between the cracks of his rotten, Meth-mouth stumps…I mean teeth. I could start to taste water in the back of my throat.

His face hovered closer to mine; grazing the blade across the skin of my cheek. "Who. Do. You. Work. For?"

I was never one of those slick detectives from the movies with an acid tongue and rapier wit. "I…work…" I slowly brought forward my right hand, "FOR MYSELF" I slammed my palm into his crotch. Stabbing my nails into him with a vice-like grip, he crumpled to the ground, dropping the knife. Within seconds I had him on the floor, rolling around in a fetal position. At that moment I cocked my .40 Beretta. The load 'click' of the released safety instantly immobilized him. I spit out some of the blood that had been collecting in my mouth and trained the gun's hungry loaded barrel toward his grimacing face.

"Who do you work for?" I said calmly.

"Bitch I ain't telling you jack shit!" He spat. I slammed the heel of one of my shoes into the hands protecting his groin, breaking one of his fingers. I could hear that sickening twig-snap sound of the bone cracking. He cried out.

"I don't remember giving you a Goddamn choice." I whipped out my badge. "I'm placing you under arrest. If you come quietly, I can make this as painless as possible. You have the right to remain silent…"

His only response was to hock a rather large gob of mucus onto my cheek. "Was that quietly enough bitch?" He laughed. My response was to fire the gun mere centimeters from his left ear. The sound was deafening, ricocheting off of the wall like a blinded elephant. He whimpered in fear.

"Next time…I won't miss. Now get up."

"Alright alright!" He suddenly kicked out my legs from under me, bringing my body crashing to the floor. He leapt up and sprinted for the door and I gave chase. "Haha, you fucking cunt!" He shouted from the hallway.

For someone completely loaded with Meth, this man was quick. I fired a warning shot. He stumbled out the nearest door onto the streets right into the path of Gant's blinding fog lights. Once I had reached the street I raced up behind him and pressed the barrel of the gun at the base of his skull. Gant strode forward clapping his enormous hands. He grabbed the man by his shirt and lifted him six inches off of the ground. I placed my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

"Ha ha ha! Nice work Lana! This scumbag has a paper trail leading to the largest crime syndicate in the city. Lana, let's take our friend into custody, we'll get him to squeal."

"Put me down asshole!" Shouted our catch. Gant responded by swiftly punching him in the jaw. The resulting crack echoed down the alleyway.

"Sonny, that's not how we talk to our elders now is it? Lana, cuff him!"

I returned the Beretta to its holster and slapped the silver handcuffs around both his wrists. Gant tossed the man like a rag doll on to the back seat of his huge black Crown Vic. "Let's go Lana, this place makes my skin crawl."

I sat in the passenger seat, rolled down the window as we pulled away and spit out all of the blood that had been accumulating in my mouth. The cut stung like hell. My teeth were stained a hideous shade of red.

"Jesus Lana, you look like hell! What did this idiot do to you?"

I dabbed at my lips with the sleeve of my t-shirt. "Just a scratch. Don't worry about it." I pulled my water bottle out of the glove compartment, took a swig, and rinsed out my mouth.

He turned the cabin lights on. "Well we gotta get that checked out!"

"I SAID…don't worry about it." I spit once more. Gant was getting on my last nerves. I pressed my head against the enormous headrest.

"Lana you don't have a clue what this asshole may have on that knife. He could have been cutting lines with it for all we know! When we're back at the precinct you're going straight to the medic."

"Get off my ass Gant. I can take care of myself." I can't wait to get home.

Our capture started chuckling.

"So you think this is funny?" Queried a snide Gant. "We'll just have to have a discussion about your manners young man…or lack thereof." I rolled my eyes. Typical lame Gant.

Once we were back at the station, we entered the criminal affairs department with our arrest in tow. The couriers quietly looked up from their computer screens and watched us approach the elevator. Their eyes lingered on my bloody battered face. Then they looked to Gant's; you could still smell his after-shave…

"Alright Lana, straight to the medic. Get yourself stitched up. I'm going to take this punk to the interrogation room."

I shuddered. Gant's interrogation techniques are rather…persuasive.


	3. A Night in Tunisia

I fumbled with my keys to open the apartment door

I fumbled with my keys to open the apartment door. I felt like total shit. I had a mouth full of jagged stitches and gauze, a bruised tailbone, and a throbbing migraine. My right cheek and lips had swelled up painfully after the sutures were put in and a veritable palate of black and blue erupted on the side of my face. My right eye was slightly closed as a result. Soft jazz greeted me as I entered my apartment. I kicked off my shoes and walked toward the sofa, which I had proceeded to collapse across. Staring blankly at the equally blank flat screen TV, I could hear the soft pit-pat of bare feet on hardwood floors. Shortly after I could feel a weight by my legs, and a smooth hand running up my back from under my shirt.

"Long day?"

I groaned. "Like you wouldn't believe." A pair of lips briefly kissed the back of my neck. I turned and looked into the eyes of the owner of those lips. She smiled back warmly. As clichéd as it sounds, my pain vanished at the sight of her smile. "Mia…" I rolled onto my back and pulled her body on top of mine. Her lips graced mine, before her face morphed into a grimace. Her long auburn hair veiled her face

"Lana…your face. What happened?" A baby soft hand cups my swollen cheek. My hand instinctively covers hers.

"I'd rather not talk about it." I managed, quietly nuzzling into her palm; a pathetic attempt to get her to drop the subject. It failed.

She pulled her hand away. "Gant sent you in alone again didn't he?" Mia frowned, crossing her arms on her chest.

I looked up at her. "Well that's how it always works…"

Mia scoffed. "I positively loathe that job of yours." I repositioned myself and sat up on my elbows.

"Mia…it's what I do. It's how I learn the law. I can hardly be expected to expose criminals as a Prosecutor if I don't know what makes them _tick_." I pulled out the Beretta from its holster and unloaded the magazine, placing it on the coffee table. Mia looked at it with a sneer on her face. She absolutely hated guns. She made me store the Beretta in a lockbox in the hallway closet, along with my two prized Glocks. She didn't want the things in our bedroom.

"Well what about being shacked up with a chief defense attorney? Doesn't that count?" Mia pretended to pout.

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Shacked up. Heh. You and your colloquialisms."

She swatted me playfully. "Let's shack up right now." She looked at her watch. "It's nearly 3:30 in the morning. We both have off tomorrow, let's sleep in!"

I groaned. 3:30AM. "What are _you_ doing up this late?" As always, she looked perfect, with no signs of fatigue on her pristine face.

"I was helping Phoenix study for his torts exam, and helping him plan a study schedule for the bar." She stretched and yawned.

"Do you really think that dope is going to pass?"

Mia smiled warmly. "Of course he is. _You_ passed it, and you're as dopey as they come. So I'm not too worried for Phoenix." She said with a smirk.

"Hey!"

She held out a hand to me and I placed mine in hers. She pulled me up to my feet. We embraced. Another kiss. "Let's go to bed dear. I'm exhausted."

"Phoenix wore you out?" I asked.

"No. That's _your _job." She said with a wink and I blushed. She led me into our bedroom.

A quick shower and teeth brushing later, I was spooning Mia on our bed. She was sound asleep, her metronomic breathing slowly lulling me. I hated having insomnia. I peered out at the moon through our 55th story apartment window. I pulled Mia closer to me and breathed in the scent of her hair. The gentle rise and fall of her chest pressed against mine is comforting as I lie awake for nearly two hours before finally succumbing to sleep…


	4. 1234

Mia and I have been lovers for years and not one person in the Police or Prosecutor's office has any idea that our relationship even exists. Every morning over the water cooler I hear all of the men in the precinct fawn over her.

"There's no way a woman like that is single!"

"Who's she with!?"

"That Diego Armando guy?"

"Nah, she'd never go for him!"

"I'd give anything to just have two minutes of her _attention_!" All the while I sip my morning coffee in the corner with a smug expression on my face…

It all started back in law school with, what I like to call, an _intellectual _attraction. She was a freshman, myself a senior. She was auditing my god-awful torts class. I intimidated everyone in school with my intense determination to succeed. The moment she stepped foot into the lecture hall that morning every head turned to her direction; even the professor was taken by her. However I paid her no mind, for I was too preoccupied with being the top of the class. As a result, my resentment toward Mia was mounting. From that day out, the professor would always call on her. My waving arm went unnoticed even though I always sat in the front row!

Finally the fateful day came when we were all assigned partners for a small project. As usual, no one in the class wanted to work with me. As luck would have it, the Professor suggested Mia as my partner. He rationalized his choice with an argument practically calling Mia his daughter.

"Seeing as you are the student with the highest marks in the class, I think you will be a good influence for Mia." Gee, thanks Professor Payne. Mia stood within earshot of the exchange and looked down immediately after I glared at her.

…

We agreed to meet that night at local Starbucks to work on the project. I showed up 10 minutes late. When I had arrived she already had textbooks and notebooks strewn across the table and was scribbling furiously on paper. She was so focused she didn't even notice me hovering over her.

"Mia…getting a head-start?" I asked, annoyed.

She blushed. "S-S-sorry Lana! I…I w-was just getting more familiarized with the topic!" She hung her head downward. I sat down across from her and placed my bag on the table.

"No, no, no. It's alright. Really. I was only curious as to what you were doing."

"I…I just want to make sure I put in the best amount of effort. I mean…I know I'm only auditing the class but…I want to do my part to make sure you get the best grade possible!" She looked like she was about to be eaten alive.

I scoffed. "I'm perfectly capable of earning my own grades thank you. I didn't need anyone to get my 4.0."

"How do you manage a 4.0 in _torts_!? It seems so difficult!"

I smiled a little. "A lot of coffee." She laughed.

"You have a very pretty smile Lana." Spoke Mia quietly over her books.

"What?" Her statement caught me off guard.

Her eyes shifted. "Well it seems like when we're in class you never smile. I see you sitting in the front row, and you always look so sad. I understand that torts are boring, but are they _depressing?_"

I laughed and absently sipped from my coffee. "You don't know that. I _could_ just be trying to hold a straight face for every time professor Payne's hair piece begins to slip!"

Mia chortled. "It's positively gauche!"

And that's how the rest of the night went. We chatted over coffee and biscotti, pushing our notebooks to the side. People had to stop while walking by the windows of the Café for they couldn't believe they would actually catch a glimpse of stone cold Lana Skye wearing a smile on her face. In fact it was the most I had _ever_ smiled in Law School.

I walked her back to her apartment that night. As we approached the front door she pulled out her keys. "Would…you...like to come in?" Mia said sheepishly. "I mean, we still need to actually work on the project."

"Oh, uh…sure that'd be great thanks!" I said and followed her into the building. Her apartment was actually a small studio and was very chic in it's décor. We worked on the project until two in the morning having a wonderful time throughout. Mia defied my expectations.

Despite Mia's protests, I left the apartment at 4AM, walking back to my apartment in the darkness.

In our lecture class the next morning Mia came in and turned heads as usual. She walked right to the front row and sat herself next to me.

"Did you get enough sleep last night?" She laughed. I yawned.

"I think I got a sufficient amount." I smiled.

She leaned forward to say something but Professor Payne had just walked in. "Get out your projects everyone!" He chirped in that nasal voice of his.

Mia quickly scribbled something on the corner of her paper and slid it to me.

_The toupee isn't looking so bad today isn't it?_ Next to her words was a stick figure with lopsided hair. I stifled a laugh and passed her book back to her. She quickly wrote once more. _Drinks tonight?_

I wrote back, _Sure. What time?_

_How does 8PM sound?_

I shook my head and wrote, _I can't. I have a theory class that goes until 9. _And slid the paper back to her. Apparently I was a middle-schooler again…

_OK. 9:15 the Drunken Barrister. And I won't take no for an answer Miss Skye! _Next to her words was another stick figure. This figure had long hair, a frown, and it's arms crossed. I snorted. Professor Payne looked up from his podium in awe. I'm sure he couldn't believe that he was actually witnessing Lana Skye laughing. Quickly, I regained composure. Mia simply looked smug as if she accomplished a great feat.

The rest of that day couldn't drag on any slower. Every five minutes my eyes would dart to the clock, my cell phone or my watch. I would also constantly curse myself inwardly. I never acted this way…ever. Why get so worked up over a freshman? Mia was on my mind all day.

About twenty minutes before my theory class was to begin, I was in my apartment doing my make up in the mirror. Ema looked up from my desk, where she had been working on her homework.

"Sis, what the heck are you doing? Do _you_ have a _date_?!"

"Shut up Ema."

"Ooh big bad Lana has a date!" She jumped onto my bed. "Who is the lucky guy?!"

"Ema, I don't have a date. I'm going out for drinks with a classmate." I started applying foundation to my face.

"Lana." Ema deadpanned. "You _never_ get dolled up for your classmates. Either you're going for drinks at the Ritz, or you're on a date."

"I'm going to the Drunken Bannister thank you very much."

Ema sputtered. "YOU ARE _SO_ GOING ON A DATE!" She threw one of my pillows at the back of my head, causing me to drop my make-up compact. "Come on Sis! Spill! Who is it!?"

I smiled. "It doesn't concern you Ema. Its classified information."

Ema looked at me quizzically. "You're very picky Sis, you know that?"

I put on a pair of small silver hoop earrings. "Yes I do." I grabbed my black hooligan cap and put it on my head. "And now Madame I bid thee adieu."

Ema pretended to swoon and faint, making me laugh. I lobbed the pillow back at her. "Friendly fire!" She screamed. I quickly dashed for the door to avoid Ema's onslaught of pillows.

"SIS!" She yelled. "What do I do for dinner?"

"I'll be back later tonight! Order a pizza or something!"

"But…I don't have any cash!"

I turned, ran back the doorway and threw a wad of tens at her. "Damnit Ema just shut up already!"

As I ran for the elevator, she poked her head out the door. "Love you Sis! Have fun on your date!"

"IT'S NOT A DATE!" I screamed from down the hallway.

9:45PM. Damnit! I sprinted down Main Street. My theory class had gone into overtime, and I had realized that I never asked for Mia's cell phone number. I burst through the doors of the Drunken Barrister to see Mia sitting on a stool by the bar lazily twirling a martini glass between her fingers. She propped her chin against a fist, and looked down to the floor with a downtrodden expression on her face.

"Mia!" I shouted over the crowd. She turned, her eyes widened and she waved to me. After meandering through the huge crowd of patrons, I took a seat on the stool to her right. "Mia! I'm _so_ sorry that I'm late! Of all the nights for my class to go overtime!"

"I was afraid you wouldn't show."

"I didn't have a choice, you wouldn't take 'no' for an answer remember?" I smiled. Gesturing toward her empty martini glass, "Can I…get you a drink?"

"Oh! Yes that would be great! I'll take an Amaretto Sour…on the rocks!"

I motioned to the bartender and ordered her drink, and a Stella Artois for myself. Mia chuckled. "I'm not surprised you're a beer drinker."

I brought the bottle to my mouth and took a sip. "And why is that?"

"I'm…not sure! For some strange reason it just doesn't surprise me!"

"Mia, we're training to be lawyers. You're supposed to be able to explain things about people."

"Cut me some slack Lana, I've already drank two Martinis."

We sat for a while and chatted over drinks. I was growing to enjoy Mia's company more and more. She detailed her whole motivation for attending law school. I was completely dumbfounded to hear that it was _her_ mother who was involved in Case DL-6. We had devoted an entire term paper to that case, arguing against the use of spiritual mediums in a court of law! She recounted her childhood in the Kurain Villiage, and how she was next in line to be the head of the family. Everything about her was absolutely fascinating. I leaned in intently listening to her every word. However our camaraderie was broken as a crowd of men was beginning to form around Mia and I. I could hear their under-the-breath conversations, and Mia was the topic of every single one. A few catcalls sparked from the back of the group. It also looked as if some of the men were undressing her with their eyes. She _was _wearing a revealing shirt with a low neckline…and she was rather well…endowed. Quietly, I slipped my hand into hers, startling her a bit. "Lana…?"

"Let's go get a table, this is making me a little claustrophobic…we can order some food or something. Let's go Mia." I pulled her away from the swarm of horny males and led her to a secluded booth in the back of the bar. "This is much better." Mia sat herself down across from me.

"What was that back there Lana?"

I absently drank my beer. "What was what?"

"If I'm not mistaken I'd say you were protecting me." She shot me a self-satisfied smile. I blushed.

"Well…they were oogling you…and it made me uncomfortable alright? I'm not used to stuff like that. I'm used to intimidating people. You're the pretty one, not me!"

Mia was taken aback. "Lana please tell me you're joking."

"Huh?"

"You're beautiful Lana! And that hat is adorable!" She playfully patted me on the head, inadvertently knocking my hat off as well. "Oops!" I repositioned it back on my head.

Rolling my eyes, I took a large swig of beer. "Mia, I think you've had too much to drink."

She quickly polished off the rest of the Amaretto Sour and flagged down a waitress. "Can I get a Vodka Tonic? Oh—and a round of shooters for my friend here!"

I couldn't believe what she was doing. "Whoa, Mia don't you think you should slow down?"

"Lana I'll be fine. Ish a Friday night!" She was starting to slur her words, and sway back and forth. The waitress returned as quickly as she left with a tray filled with drinks. Mia hastily grabbed the Vodka tonic, and downed it quickly. "Lesh…take some shootersh…" She held up both shot glasses with unsteady hands. I took mine from her and held it to my lips, but placed it down on the table when I saw two men approaching. I tried to extract Mia's shot glass from her quaking hands, but the amber fluid was already gone.

"Hello Ladies." Spoke one of them with a cocky smile on his face. I recognized him from torts class. "Mind if we join you?" He was incredibly handsome and built, with spiky black hair. The other, who was equally handsome had medium length silver hair and looked like he really didn't care about us one way or another.

Before I could speak, Mia spoke on behalf of us both. "Of coursh!" The taller man took a seat next to Mia, while his shorter friend sat next to me.

"The name's Diego Armando, and this is my friend Miles Edgeworth. And you are?"

"I'm Mia Fey!"

"Lana Skye." I didn't look at him. The man barely says a few words and already he had my blood boiling.

Diego smiled. "Ah so _you're_ Lana Skye…the infamous_ Curve Breaker_."

"Ugh. I _hate_ that nickname."

Mia gave a confused look and Diego took it upon himself to clarify.

"Your friend Lana here has a knack for upsetting every curve any professor offered. No matter how impossible the test may seem, Lana will get a perfect score and upset the curve. Hence the name, 'Curve Breaker'."

Drunken Mia was amazed. "Wow Lana, you're sho shmart!"

I smiled. _Nice try asshole._ His obvious attempt to draw her attention away from me backfired.

Diego turned to Mia. "You're lucky you're only auditing our torts class Kitten. Otherwise you'd be hurting like the rest of us... So what brings you two to the Bannister? I never thought I'd see Lana emerge from her _cave_."

"What doesh it look like? Jusht getting shome drinksh." Mia drunkenly pulled my full shot glass away from me and drank the contents. Her eyes welled up with tears as the liquor went down her throat. At that moment Diego nonchalantly placed an arm around her shoulder. His eyes wandered toward the valley of her breasts. My insides writhed at the sight and I promptly glared at him.

"My friend Miles here is shadowing prosecutor Von Karma." He said smoothly, making an attempt to steer the conversation away. "I've heard that you admire him Ms. Skye."

Miles was getting ready to speak but I spoke first. "I think you've got your facts wrong Mr. Armando."

"Hmm?"

"Prosecutor Von Karma is a ruthless man who would do anything for a guilty verdict; even if it means jeopardizing the life of an innocent. That's hardly a person worthy of my admiration. And I don't think I like the impression you have of me Mr. Armando."

"You're wrong!" Protested Miles. "Prosecutor Von Karma is a respectable man with an impeccable record of wins."

I finished off the rest of my beer. "You're entitled to your opinion. I was merely stating mine." Across the table, Diego was whispering something to Mia and suddenly I was overwrought with…jealousy? He placed a small slip of paper into her hand. I immediately stood and bumped into the table eliciting an angry glower from Diego.

"We're going home Mia. It's getting late." I took hold of her arm and guided her out of the booth.

"Way to spoil the fun Curve Breaker!"

"Good night to you Mr. Armando, and to you Mr. Edgeworth. It was a pleasure. I'm sure we'll see you both in class on Monday."


	5. Say Goodnight and Go

I brought Mia back to my apartment; the short walk from the bar feeling like an excursion with Mia in tow. I supported her weight on my shoulder, helping her climb the twenty flights up to my floor. Unable to get to my keys without dropping Mia, I knocked on the door and shouted "Ema, open the door!"

"Don't you have a key?" Responded Ema from the living room. I could hear the TV blaring loudly. _Typical Ema._

"EMA! Just open the damn door!"

"Alright alright!" A few seconds later I was greeted by a disheveled Ema, who stared blankly at my drunken cargo. "Who is she? Is she sick?"

"She's drunk. Help me get her inside." Ema positioned herself under Mia's other shoulder and we both carried her toward the couch. Mia groaned once she had made contact with the soft leather. "Ema go get my a pillow and blanket from my bed…" No response. "Ema!"

"Oh! Yeah sorry!"

I pushed a loose strand of hair behind Mia's ear. "Mia…Mia…are you alright?"

"I…I…think so. Where the hell are we?"

Her crass language was surprising. "You're in my apartment. You drank too much tonight, and I'm not sending you home alone like this."

"Where are Diego and Miles?"

"I don't know and I don't care Mia. Just try and get some rest OK?"

Mia was preparing to say something else but instead, vomited on my floor. Ema walked in not a moment too soon.

"Oh my god! She's puking……I _HAVE_ to collect some samples!"

I think I threw up in my mouth at that moment. "Yuck! Ema are you kidding me? This poor woman is sick and you're preoccupied with vomit samples??"

"But I need some stomach acid! I want to test the pH! The medical waste dump doesn't let me get within a 500 meter radius of their dumpsters anymore…do you know how hard it is to get a sample of human stomach acid nowadays!?"

"I'm thankful to say that I don't." I held back Mia's hair as she continued to heave vomit onto my floor. "Why can't you be a normal teenager? Put those down and go get some paper towels."

Mia moaned as she rolled onto her back, "I feel like shit…ugh…"

I laughed. "Well usually that's expected when one drinks more than they can handle."

Ema returned with cleaning supplies, and we both wiped up the vomit from the floor. I'd never been so grateful for hardwood floors before. Ema placed a pillow behind Mia's head and wrapped the blanket around her. She then handed Mia a tall glass of water.

"Thanks Ema. I'm sorry about this, I hope we didn't interrupt your homework."

Ema smiled. "Homework? I finished that hours ago. You interrupted my show!"

"How was your pizza?"

"I ordered Chinese. There's some left on the table if you want it."

I looked to the disgusting wad of paper towels in the wastebasket across the way. "I…I think I've lost my appetite, so no thanks Ema. Why don't you go to bed? It's nearly one in the morning."

Ema nodded. "Goodnight Sis." She walked off toward her room.

Mia looked at me…longingly. "Can you sit with me?" She sounded a lot more sober than before.

"Uh, sure." I sat down on the far end of the couch by her feet and turned on the TV. She spread her legs out across my lap.

"Thanks so much for this Lana. I'm really, really embarrassed. I don't usually drink like this…I was nervous tonight and got a little ahead of myself…" I caught myself staring at her legs.

I looked back to her. "Nervous about what?"

"Hanging out with you of course! I really admire you Lana. You're intelligent…you're doing so well in Law School…you're going to make a fantastic prosecutor..." Her breasts looked like they were about to spill out her shirt...or at least I hoped they would. I immediately shook the thought from my head and blinked.

"Uh, actually I'm not too sure that I want to be a prosecutor just yet. I'm considering becoming a detective first."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Possibly." I said absently watching the TV. Mia sat up and slid over closer to me. "I want to know how a criminal thinks, before I try to expose them in court. I'm also about to start my internship with Detective Gant from the Police Department."

"How exciting!" Mia was leaning against me now, her head pressed into the crook of my neck. I'd never been this physically close to anyone before…even Ema. After my parents died, I'd never let anyone in…so why was Mia the exception? We sat like this while watching some sappy Lifetime movie in silence. I could feel Mia's hot breath on the skin of my neck and I felt…something in the pit of my stomach...and on my leg. Mia's hand was now resting on my right thigh, her thumb lazily grazing the fabric of my jeans. "Uh Mia? Your hand…?"

"Oh! Oh my god, I'm sorry!" She immediately pulled her hand away and sat straight up. Her face blanched. "Heh, I don't know what came over me…"

"Mia. Are you still drunk?"

She blushed. "Would it be better if I said I still was?"

"Why did you put your hand on my leg?" The trainee prosecutor in me was rearing its ugly head. Mia was taken aback.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"

I spoke calmly to Mia, "I can tell that you're lying. It's written all over your face."

Mia frowned. "_I'mattractedtoyou…"_ She muttered under her breath as she hastily stood up and began to gather her things.

"Mia…"

"No Lana, it's alright. I've embarrassed myself enough for one night. I'll see you in class soon, thank you for helping me and have a good night." And she was out the door.

"Sis, are you _stupid_? Go after her!"

"Ema!?" I spun around to see Ema standing in the kitchen with a vexed expression on her face. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough! She was going to pour her heart out to you and you were an asshole to her! Stop her before she leaves!"

"I…I'm not gay Ema."

"Please. _'It's written all over your face.'_" She turned around and went back to her room. My stomach churned painfully inside me. I pivoted and sprinted out the door.

"Mia wait!"

She turned at the end of the hallway. Her eyes were painfully red with tears. How could she have cried that much in the walk from the door to the elevator?

"Please, just answer me one question...did you…intend for tonight to be a…date?"

Mia merely looked up at me with her glossy eyes. We locked stares for an ephemeral eternity…

…and then she nodded.

And the rest…is history.


	6. A Bullet with Butterfly Wings

**_December 2014_**

7:00AM

I only got about two hours of sleep last night. My swollen face doubled as a painful pillow, and the resulting pressure only aggravated my insomnia.

Mia stirred at around seven in the morning and rolled over toward me. Her hands gently cupped my puffy face and pulled my lips to hers for a cuddly good morning kiss. Our Abyssinian cat, Kato, was quietly slumbering at our feet.

"Hey you…" She said in the raspy 'I-just-woke-up' voice that drives me wild. We melted together in another kiss.

"What happened to sleeping in?"

Mia scoffed. "You _never _sleep, so I don't see the issue." She reached for a remote control on her nightstand and turned on the TV. Watching the news was her morning ritual. Election coverage. God, all of this hokum over the campaign made my head hurt. Mallard Diction was running against Edith Plume for the US Senate. I had no idea who I wished to vote for. The two candidates were diametrically opposed on all of the issues…and of course, as per usual, I fell right in the middle on everything. Mia on the other hand, being the fervid liberal that she is, was already in full support of Ms. Plume.

Mia frowned. "I don't see why anyone would be stupid enough to vote Diction into the Senate. There is so much corruption surrounding that man. Do you know how many innocent Iraqis perished at the hands of his boneheaded private security firm??"

I nibbled the supple skin of her neck. "I love it when you talk politics…it's sexy…" Mia purred and I continued my ministrations.

"Lana…" My tongue was running up the sinewy muscles of her neck. "It's early…" She squirmed. The news report droned on and I was determined to distract Mia. Tracing every peak and valley of her body, I brought my hands to the apex of her legs. Her hips bucked and she bit her lip. I slipped my anxious fingers under the elastic of her panties. A hand halted my journey. "Not right now Lana…I'm too tired."

I pull her closer against me. "I'm sorry Mia…cuddle?"

"For a hardened detective, you're awfully sappy…can we just watch the news?" A small yawn escaped her lips as she curled into me. Kato lazily stretched his lithe body and looked at us with his big bright eyes. Mia outstretched an arm welcoming the cat into her embrace. I simply attempted to fall back asleep seeing as how I lost to a fuzz ball for Mia's attention. The TV still hummed in the background as I spooned a pillow with my other arm.

_Ring! Ring!_ Mia's horrible cell phone started to ring. _Ring! Ring! _The awful tinny sound rammed itself against my eardrums no matter how hard I attempted to wrap the pillow around my ears. "Mia! Will you answer your goddamn phone already!"

"Calm down Lana!" She reached across me, and grabbed the devilish device from my nightstand.

"Well why did you have to leave it inches from my head Mia??"

"Hello?" She ignored my whining.

"Yes this is Mia Fey."

"What!?"

A long pause.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Another pause. Mia's eyes grew wide.

"The Senator!?"

Yet another pause. I was growing increasingly concerned. Mia's face contorted into a mixture of a grimace and a frown. Whatever was being said over that phone was deeply unsettling.

"Yes, yes, yes, give me 20 minutes and I will be at the precinct! Thank you." She hung up her phone and hastily leapt out of bed.

I gave her a perplexed look. "Mia what was that all about? Is everything alright?"

"Well, I certainly don't have a day off anymore. Go back to sleep babe, I'll be back in a few hours." A brief kiss on my lips was my goodbye.

"Mia. What the hell was that phone call about? You look like you've seen a ghost." She was frantically flitting around our room throwing on a pantsuit.

Mia stopped and looked down toward the floor. Her eyes closed, and she shivered as she struggled to swallow a nagging lump lodged in her throat. "There's been a murder."

Now this I found surprising. Mia, being a top-notch defense attorney, has stoically dealt with plenty of grisly and heinous murders; this particular incident had to have been something absolutely horrendous to put her into such a state. "And…? Who is it?"

"A child…Senator Plume's child."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing coming out of her mouth. "A child!?"

"Yes…Opal Plume was found dead in the pediatric oncology wing of the hospital this morning."

"They know its murder?"

"I guess so…the police say the evidence is overwhelming. They've brought in Doctor Genevieve Caduceus as the prime suspect. I've been appointed as her attorney. I have to get to the detention center before the reporter swarm." Standing before our mirror she tidied herself up a bit.

I started to get up. "I'm coming with you."

Mia spun around on the spot and fired back with a firm, "NO!" I was rendered dumb at the outburst. She quickly regained her composure. "No Lana. No one knows about us, and if we arrive together it'd just be too much of a coincidence for everyone down at the precinct. The media is going to be all over this case, we need to keep our guard up."

My head and shoulders flopped back onto the bed. "I hate this charade we're playing." I crossed my arms angrily…for emphasis.

Mia was still looking right at me with her _are-you-kidding-me _expression. "Lana, let's think here for a moment. First, no one knows that we are lovers. Second, you're about to be named Chief Prosecutor. How would the PR department feel about the Chief Prosecutor and a Defense Attorney dating?" I frowned; deep inside I knew that she was right. Mia continued. "I know this is all frustrating Lana, but we need to find the right opportunity, and unfortunately it just…hasn't…presented itself yet..." She swallowed hard and shot me a wayward look. "I…have to go now, you need to stay in bed and heal…please try to sleep. If you freak yourself out you'll rip your stitches…again." I rolled my eyes. She planted a kiss on my forehead. "I'll call you with the details later alright? I love you."

"I love you too…" And with that, she slipped out the door. I pressed my head into the pillows and continued to watch the news unfold on the television. On screen Genevieve Caduceus, a young doctor who must have been no older than 30, was flanked by two hulking police officers. One of them looked extremely confused. _Gumshoe…you oaf._ The correspondent's monotone voice droned on in the background.

"The body was discovered at approximately 6AM this morning by custodial staff. The cause of death has yet to be determined, however Officials report that multiple syringes were found in Opal Plume's hospital room, all of which were covered with Dr. Caduceus' fingerprints. She is being arraigned as we speak and will be brought in for questioning later today. Senator Plume is expected to address the media at a press conference by 2:30 this afternoon…" _Click._

I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes tightly, assured that Mia would fill me in when she returns.

1:15PM

I stirred awake, the awful squealing of my cell phone's alarm reverberating in my eardrums. My hands blindly fumbled for my phone and proceeded to launch the accursed thing against the far wall. It silenced and fell to the hardwood floor with a clatter. The cat scrambled away at the sound. I sat up, rubbed my eyes and let out a loud moan of pain, as my face was even more swollen and painful.

I looked around the bedroom and Mia was nowhere to be found. I checked my watch and gawked at how long I had overslept. Mia had left the apartment around 7AM and she had been gone for nearly 5 hours. A briefing never took this long.

I slowly slid out of bed and walked over to my battered blackberry. I'm shocked the thing has held up through all of the abuse that I put it through. I called up Mia with the speed dial.

_Ring…ring...ring…ring…ring…_"Hello you've reached the voice mailbox of Mia Fey, Attorney at Law. I am unable to answer the phone right now. For inquiries please dial-"

I sighed and walked to my closet. It was time to head to the precinct, on my day off no less. Gant was sure to give me a lecture once I got there, but I had a right to spend time with Mia, and to make sure she was ok.

2:00PM

I was driving on the freeway when my ever-faithful blackberry rang. A text message. "_Things are taking longer than usual. There's a media circus. Probably won't be home until late. I'll pick up dinner later. ily"_

Although being highly illegal I messaged her back with one hand while weaving in and out of the lanes. "_I'm on my way to the precinct. ETA 15 mins. ily 2"_

The response was almost instantaneous. _"Lana, please turn around. You need to rest. Official statement being given soon."_

"_Too late. This is too weird, I'm coming there to see you."_

"_Fine. I'm in the detention center. See you soon love. 3"_

2:20PM

The kiosk guards rolled their eyes at the sight of my black SUV.

"Skye isn't it your day off?" one of them shouted.

"I've got things to take care of. Let me through." I groaned. They couldn't go for 5 minutes, even on my day off, without giving me a hassle. I quickly parked and briskly entered the detention center, my badge at the ready. As expected there was a swarm of reporters, and at the epicenter stood Mia, with Dr. Caduceus by her side. The young Doctor held her eyes downward, not once looking up at the media. Her right hand was held tightly by one of Mia's hands, her thumb gently rubbing the young woman's hand. I felt a twinge of jealousy inside me, but of course I bottled it up. I had a reputation to uphold, as well as Mia's.

I didn't like this one bit, Mia looked uneasy. She looked straight into the hungry lens' of the cameras and cleared her throat. "I, Mia Fey, will representing Dr. Genevieve Caduceus for this case. I firmly believe in my client's innocence, and will do all in my power to earn her acquittal. We have no further comments at this time. Thank you." Mia looked at me through the crowd and motioned her head toward the door of interrogation room 3 of the detention center. I nodded and smiled. The Doctor and Mia absconded through the door to escape the blinding flashes of the multitudes of cameras.

Suddenly one of the reporters shouted, "Senator Plume speaks in 10 minutes!" That did it. The crowd dissipated as quickly as it had formed, racing against each other to get that first money shot of Ms. Plume's devastation. Fucking vultures. I slid into room 3. Mia was sitting at the table, holding a shaking and sobbing Dr. Caduceus, a gentle hand on the young woman's head. This is what made Mia special, her compassion and trust in her clients, and I was certain that someone as outwardly frail as Dr. Caduceus needed someone like Mia to defend her in court. I sat next to Mia and placed a hand on her back, rubbing gently. I pressed my face to her cheek; luckily there were no windows in this interrogation room so Mia and I could be ourselves. I kissed her ear.

"Hi babe." Said Mia softly. I gasped, she sounded so weak and drained. She hadn't really had a high profile case yet in her young career.

"Are you alright?" I asked. I caressed her cheek calmly. Mia pushed into my touch

"Yes…I-I'm fine…we're fine…Thanks for coming here." I looked to Dr. Caduceus, her eyes bright red with tears. The young doctor looked up at me. Mia cleared her throat. "This is my partner, Lana Skye."

"Are you on the defense team?" asked the young woman weakly. Mia and I exchanged glances. I shrugged.

"Oh…no! No, my apprentice Phoenix Wright will be helping me to defend you. Lana is my girlfriend…my…lover...but please don't repeat it. No one really knows about us."

Mia was being very, very bold, but I trusted her judgment. Dr. Caduceus smiled a little. She spoke weakly, "At this point I'll do anything…anything you say that saves me from the death penalty."

I gawked for a moment, "The death penalty!?"

Mia nodded weakly. "It's what the prosecution is calling for, as well as the public."

Genevieve suddenly became frantic. "But I didn't do it!! I would _never_ kill any of my patients!!" She grasped onto Mia's shoulders, commanding that Mia's eyes look into her own. "Please believe me!" Mia patted a reassuring hand on the Doctor's back.

"What was the cause of death?" I deadpanned.

Mia looked at me solemnly. "Intentional Overdose."


	7. Like Eating Glass

I told Mia to meet me in my office once the good Doctor was escorted to her holding cell for the night. Mia had informed me that the poor woman was being held without bail. She looked terrified enough, I'm pretty sure that only an hour in that cell would break her. Though more so than the doctor, I worried for Mia. Never had I seen her so shaken, so…weak! Now wasn't the time for weakness, for who knew what that Prosecutor's office had up its sleeve. Mia really needed to keep it together for this mess.

_Ooof! _ I knocked shoulders with someone in the upstairs hallway. And to make matters worse, it was still sore from the night before. I let out a groan, as a high-pitched nails-on-a-chalkboard voice rang, "Oopsies! My bad!" I looked down to see a small woman with obnoxiously pink coiffed hair in an equally obnoxious pink dress suit. A dress suit that was hastily buttoned and nearly busting at the breasts. This woman could've given Mia a run for her money…if you catch my drift.

"Excuse me Miss…?"

"Miss May! My name is Miss April May!" _Did she just come out of our office? "I was just saying good-bye to Mr. Gant!" _

She then took a brief moment to 'size' me up. Unexpectedly her voice became more…seductive, "He told me allllll about you, but what he didn't tell me was how…_beautiful_ you are." Miss May approached me slowly, her large chest grazing me as she turned. Her eyes never moved away from me once as she proceeded to press her buxom body into mine. One of her small hands planted itself on my thigh delivering a firm but oddly gentle squeeze. Her other traced its way up my black sweatshirt; her fingertips grazing the fabric slightly. My left hand instinctively tightened around the 9mm I had secretly tucked into the waistband of my jeans. Just my _insurance…_

_Who does this woman think she is?? _This was making me incredibly uncomfortable. I cleared my throat awkwardly, "Miss May, I'm deeply sorry but I just don't have the time for this. Now if you'll please excuse me..." I quickly turned down the hallway that led to my office, leaving the strange pink woman behind.

As if my day off couldn't get any worse, two things were waiting for me in the office.

One. On my desk sat a pile of hulking manila folders stuffed to the brim with paperwork,

Two. My hulking partner.

Gant was busy repositioning his shirt and tie…_hmm wonder what that's all about. _The math was very simple, a disheveled tart stumbles out of our office and Gant is busy 'adjusting' himself. Clearly, however, this didn't seem like a problem to him one bit, as he addressed me as if everything were status quo.

"Lana! Fancy seeing you here! On your day off no less. Oh! And it looks like the medic did a fine job stitching you up!" He guffawed all while clapping those massive gloved hands of his. I continued to walk past him, hoping that I'd narrowly avoid another idiotic and baffling assignment. "Going in to file more paperwork eh? Lana you are an overachiever! I knew you're the best pick for chief Prosecutor!" I dragged myself across the marble floor to my desk…my spartan desk. On it sat my computer, a couple filers, a simple desk lamp, and a photo frame. Gant's desk sat directly across from mine. It looked as if it had been pulled from a 5 star hotel reception area, made entirely of marble. I flopped down into my chair with a huff, and pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head, and placed my gun on top of my paperwork.

I looked up at him. "So Gant, who was your friend there?"

I could practically hear Gant gathering his thoughts. "My friend? Excuse me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't play dumb, who was that woman I ran into in the hallway?"

As Gant turned away, absently gathering things from his desk, he suddenly spoke with a more sober tone. "Oh she was a applicant. Nothing to worry about."

I was dumbfounded. "An _applicant_? …Applicant for what?"

"A new internship for the detective's department."

"I thought we were having budget issues."

"Well Lana look at your desk. We need someone to file those so you can get back out on the job. The meth problem in this city isn't going to correct itself if you're in here playing secretary and pushing papers. Besides, kids will do anything nowadays just to get that one damn letter of recommendation." _Kids? _He fiddled with his wall safe for a moment. I leaned back in my chair, and stretched my arms upward.

"So then I take it the interview was a success?"

"I told her she'd hear back from me in two to three business days."

I smiled. "Do I get any say in this?"

"No." He shut the safe and made his way to the door. "And have a good evening Lana." And with that, Gant exited and left a very bad taste in my mouth. Sure this strange murder and Mia's involvement irked me to no end, but Gant's behavior was what bothered me the most at this moment. There's something odd about this April May…but I shrugged it off. It's my day off no less, and there was no reason to burden my mind with worries.

I heaved an exacerbated sigh and picked up one of the photo frames on my desk. _Ema. _She was away at a boarding school in Boston…on scholarship, and god how I missed her! She wanted nothing more to be a forensic investigator, and I was having nothing less but the best for Ema. After touring school after school we finally decided upon a small academy for the sciences in Massachusetts. I would try and visit her as often as I could, but with my workload it wasn't always easy. I pulled out my phone and started to draft an email to her.

**TO:**** SciNerd**

**FROM:**** LSkye**

**SUBJECT****: Hospital Madness**

**Hey Little Sis!**

**Hope all is going well at school. Though that hardly goes without saying, I got your progress report and it's looking great! You'll be a forensic scientist in no time flat! ;)**

**As for me, I'm losing my mind here day by day slowly…as per usual. **

**I don't know if you have been watching the news but there is quite a case under investigation here at home! The child of Senator Plume was killed supposedly by accidental overdose in the pediatric Oncology ward of the hospital and the main suspect is the child's own doctor!**

**Sis, please be careful…**

A quick text message interrupted my quasi-parental ramblings.

_Ran into Gant downstairs, does that mean the coast is clear?_ Mia.

_Clear as crystal._ My reply.

I'd finish the email later. I tossed the device aside, nearly knocking Ema's photo on the floor. Quickly, I repositioned it, exactly how I like it. Reaching into the bottom drawer of my desk, and digging through a mess of paperwork, I pulled out my other favorite photo. It had seen better days, as it's corners were tattered and curling. But it's poor condition belied the utter significance it had for me. It was a picture of my mother in a hospital bed, long brown hair draping her beautiful face; arms clutching a little bundle wrapped tightly in a blue blanket. Sitting by her side with a bright smile and mousy brown hair looking happily at the small bundle was a 13-year old Lana Skye. I flipped the photo over; in near perfect cursive read, _The day Ema Skye was born, 7lbs 8oz_. My heart lurched in my chest, as it always had whenever I looked at this picture; not even two years after this photo was taken, both my mother and father were torn away from Ema and I…in a car accident. Anger, sadness and rage all bubbled inside me as I swiftly put the photo back in its hiding spot. This affirmed my purpose in life, to be the mother that Ema has never had. I wanted so badly to provide her with the best life she could possibly live, and to keep that bright face of hers always smiling, to keep her mind always curious and thirsting for knowledge. She was the most precious thing in my life.

Sitting back I rubbed my temples furiously. My head felt like it was coming apart at the seams, and the knocking only made it worse. _Knocking?_

From behind the door: "Could a couple of gents trouble a beautiful dame like yerself for a few minutes of her time?" I said nothing, but the rolling of my eyes could speak volumes. A brief silence. "Come on Lana, open up! It's Jake and Nick!"

I chuckled softly, "Damnit, I know who it is, give me a minute." I trudged over to the door, and swung it open. There stood Jake and Nick Marshall, both smiling warmly at me. Despite all that had been happening today, I gave a genuine smile of my own for these two harlequins always knew how to brighten my day. I waved them in as I returned to my desk.

"Just wanted to remind you of our 'appointment' tonight." Nick began while walking inside.

"Appointment?"

Jake doffed that ridiculous hat of his and held it gingerly to his chest. "Yes bambina, a very important one. One that you're not going to want to lose…but will anyway…"

My blank expression was the only response I could offer to their obscurity.

"Jesus Lana, it's poker night!" Guffawed Nick.

"Oh! Yikes, must've completely slipped my mind!" I brought a swift hand up to cup my cheek, but I didn't realize _which _cheek I had struck. The stitches in my mouth screamed in protest causing me to wince loudly.

Jake let out a loud gasp, "Oh my pretty Bambina, what happened to yer face!" Nick furrowed his brow; he already knew why.

"We ran into the reason downstairs Jake… Gant looking pristine, and you a total mess…another successful sting huh Lana?"

I nodded painfully. "Routine drug bust late last night. Bagged another tweaker. Got me with a switchblade."

"In yer mouth!? What'll it be next time bambina, a gun??"

"I can only hope." I muttered. "Guys, I don't think I'm up for poker night. I think I'd like a quiet night at home doing paper work. And to be honest, this child's cancer ward murder has me addled. Consider this a...mental health day."

Nick sighed wistfully. "It is a strange case indeed. And it's going to be a real doozy for the defense. From what I hear the evidence they've found is pretty damning. Mia Fey is one heck of a defense attorney but she'll be up against Edgeworth…the 'Wunderkind'." The last words of his statement were drenched with vitriol. My headache suddenly decided to get worse. "And you know how he works…just like Von Karma."

This day was just getting brighter by the minute. "The doctor looks so terrified." I muttered looking at nothing in particular. "Like a deer in headlights."

"Well sure, if I killed a 10 year old kid, I'd be terrified too!" Said Jake, absently sipping from a flask. _Great job following the personal conduct regs Jake! He brought down the flask and wiped his mouth with his sleeve._

"You honestly believe she did it?"

Nick shrugged. "Too early to make a call Skye. The entire prosecutor's office is jumping on this case and Edgeworth's got an entire army behind him. Imagine the PR they'll get when they win such a high profile case! Senator Plume's up for reelection! What if she drops out??"

I waved my hand in front of my face as if to swat away invisible spider's webs. "Enough about this please. It's making my stitches hurt." I pulled the cords of my hood to conceal my face behind the soft fabric.

Jake was taken aback but then gave a sly smile, "Why so touchy bambina?"

_Apparently Mia's going to have it rough and you assholes spared nothing in telling me; that's what's wrong! _My mind then decided it was prudent to wander to something else that was bothering me. "Did either of you see a short pink-haired lady?"

Both men shook their heads.

"Seriously? You didn't see a woman with bright pink hair walk down that hallway not even two minutes ago??"

They shook their heads a second time.

"Lana?" My attention was instantly drawn to the timid voice coming from the door frame. Jake and Nick turned as well_. Mia._ She didn't expect me to have company, let alone a prosecutor like Nick.

"Oh wow, what're you doing up here Miss Fey? You do know that Lana isn't on the investigation team for this case. You should go see Goodman or Angel Starr!" Said Nick. I blanched for a moment, it never once crossed my mind that I wasn't tapped to take on this case. _Damn you Gant!_

Mia approached and coughed slightly, "Well why not Lana? She's part of the 'incredible duo' right?"

Nick laughed, "That and our Narcotics unit…well she pretty much _is_ the narcotics unit of this district! And this case does not involve illegal use and/or shipment of illicit drugs. So by simple logical deduction, Miss Lana is not involved in this case."

Mia simply gave a nod.

Oh yes, today was shaping up to be a most superb day off indeed.


End file.
